Would my communications/journalism BA help me as a paralegal?
Answer:
Any college credits are great and welcome to have. Actually most states do not require certificates of any sort in order to be a paralegal. It depends on what state you are in. I am a paralegal from Georgia. Actually, Georgia is one of the states that does not require any certification- but I have a paralegal certificate.
I commend you for having that Bachelor's degree in communications/journalism. It will certainly help you if you choose a career as a paralegal. You can ascertain the pay scales of paralegals by going to a pay rate type of website and typing in the pertinent information. It will provide an average, and that will give you a barometer for comparison purposes.
Pretty much any attorney will be pleasantly surprised and impressed that you already have a college degree under your belt. Having a degree demonstrates initiative and responsibility to the employer.
You can become certified as a paralegal, if you so desire, at any number of local business schools and/or colleges. Sometimes different programs are offered, and they can vary in length and thoroughness. I had previously heard about a paralegal course offered at a local community college here that was to last only approximately nine weeks. But the course I elected has lasted one year, it turns out. And there are also associates degrees to be had, which as you no doubt already know take about two years to attain.
Basically, a paralegal is a legal secretary. Your duties will probably include taking dictation, drafting court documents, interviewing clients for the attorney, and some court duties. Typing speed and proficiency is essential. Being that you already have some thorough education in the arena of writing, you have a distinct advantage over other folks who have, say, only finished high school. But that's obvious, I suppose.
Good luck, and happy hunting! : )
it may help in the sense that you can transfer some credits, when you start another degree in the legal field. im not sure what type of position you will get now though with no skills in the legal field. start looking for the entry level jobs in legal departments, but dont think the entry level pay will be higher than looking for something in the journalism. also, while youre looking for a job, start thinking about a school where you can get some classes dealing with legal so you can put that on your resume. but either field will require an entry level salary until you get some type of experience, journalism is worst because you usually need an internship to get a food in the door or another sub degree specifically geared towards what you want to do.
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